U.S. soldier believed to be in North Korean custody after crossing border

What they're saying: Austin said he was "absolutely foremost concerned" with the soldier’s welfare. "We will remain focused on this, and this will develop in the next several days and hours."

• Austin said the Department of Defense was working on notifying the soldier's next of kin but did not reveal his identity.

The UN Command said in a tweet that the soldier crossed "the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea" during a tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA).

• "We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident," the tweet added, referring to North Korea's People's Army.
• The U.S. Department of State, National Security Council, and Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The big picture: The JSA straddles the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas and is the only point of contact between the two sides along the dividing line.

• The area is jointly overseen by the UN Command and North Korea, and has even become a popular tourist spot, per AP.
• The man detained Tuesday is the first known American to be detained by North Korea since Bruce Byron Lowrance, who was held in North Korean custody for a month in 2018, the New York Times reported.
• American Otto Warmbier died in 2017 shortly after being released by North Korea after spending 17 months in captivity.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to add comments from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.